Shoujo Tsubaki Song - [verified]

[Your Name/Institution] Date: April 14, 2026

The Lullaby of Despair: Analyzing the Function of the “Shōjo Tsubaki” Song in Suehiro Maruo’s Ero-Guro Narrative shoujo tsubaki song

Suehiro Maruo’s Shōjo Tsubaki (also known as Midori: The Camellia Girl ) is a seminal work of the ero-guro nansensu (erotic grotesque nonsense) genre, notorious for its graphic depiction of child abuse, exploitation, and bodily horror. Amidst its visceral imagery, a recurring folk-like song acts as a diegetic and non-diegetic anchor. This paper argues that the “Shōjo Tsubaki” song—typically a melancholic tune referencing camellias (tsubaki) and lost innocence—functions not as a simple musical interlude but as a critical narrative device. It provides ironic contrast, structures traumatic memory, and serves as the protagonist Midori’s last tether to a pre-lapsarian world. Through lyrical analysis and contextualization within the film’s (1992, dir. Hiroshi Harada) soundscape, this paper explores how the song transforms from a symbol of hope into a requiem for the impossible possibility of salvation. [Your Name/Institution] Date: April 14, 2026 The Lullaby